My name is Jacob Anderson, and I’m a hobbyist.
I’m interested in too many things. Like way too many things. And I’m ready to talk about it.
I’m an engineer turned strategy and operations consultant. My current gig is a director at a large technology firm in Dallas, Texas. If you didn’t know me, you might think I’m your average worker bee in corporate America, but you would be wrong. Here are some of the things that occupy my time outside of work.
Family. I’m married and have two boys under 3 (sleep is for the weak!)
Music. I play 2 instruments and sing. I have performed in front of more than 1,000 people. I even co-wrote a song with >350,000 plays on Spotify.
Woodworking. I build solid wood furniture, cutting boards, and even a guitar. Currently finishing a pair of oak nightstands to complete a bedroom set.
Books (audiobooks honestly): I try to read (listen) to 15-20 books a year. Fiction, non-fiction, memoir. I’m interested in it all. I just blew through Jack Carr’s 5 Terminal list novels
History, economics, business, and tech: I listen to podcasts, read the news, papers, and try to make up for all the stuff I missed in college
Coffee: I’m constantly chasing the perfect cup, and recently discovered the world of manual espresso
Food: most nights I’m cooking dinner for the family and I fire up the old smoker at least once a week
In addition to my current exploits, I’ve also started (and abandoned) several other hobbies and experiments:
I produced an interview podcast about Autism.
I went to grad school to study theology at night (an expensive hobby!)
I started an Etsy shop selling hand embossed greeting cards (bad idea)
I published a series of 15 blogs in 15 weeks in 2015
I poured 250 candles by hand as favors for our wedding guests
Now let me be clear. I’m not saying I do most (or any) of these things well, but I do what interests me, and this is what makes me a hobbyist.
Hobbyists go by many different names. Jacks-of-all-trades, generalists, or, my favorite, polymaths (like Da Vinci!). But at the core I think a hobbyist is simply someone who has deep interest in one or more things that are not his or her primary source of income. Hobbyists would rather do something poorly than not do it all. Maybe that’s you. Do you have an entire amazon wish list devoted to kitchen gadgets? Do you steal away to the garage after bedtime to work on that project? Are you reading this post while waiting for your sourdough to proof? If so, we have a lot in common.
Who might be interested in this newsletter?
Being a hobbyist is an inherently lonely lifestyle choice. On the one hand, you rarely end up around people as interested in your hobby as you are. You come off as that weird guy that roasts his own coffee beans. You also don’t really fit in with the expert class, whose single minded obsession has brought them to the top of their craft. To them, you’re an interloper, not really on their level. I felt this all the time in the music space. But when you find someone who shares your hobby, it makes it that much more sweet and meaningful. One reason for starting this newsletter is to try to create a space where hobbyists can come together and discuss the things that captivate our attention.
What topics will be featured in the newsletter?
I’d love to say that this newsletter will cover all of my hobbies, but I’ve been told that this might come off as a bit too random and unfocused. So my thinking right now is that I’ll narrow down
Technology and trends: this will be for the fellow nerds out there. I work in a high tech field and want to discuss the state of tech, 5G, metaverse, where things are headed. Think Wired.com here.
Career and culture: after almost a decade in the corporate world, I have thoughts. I’ll write about navigating a career, the great resignation, office politics. I also want to comment on things more broadly. Politics, pop culture, American religion are all on the table.
Food and family (name TBD): This is kind of a grab bag for the other things I’m interested in: my current pourover setup, the most useful parenting gear I’ve come across, book, movie, podcasts that I want to recommend or discuss. Perhaps even experiments in personal improvement & “life-hacking” advice.
If that sounds like a lot, you’re right. Welcome to my life. Maybe it will work as a newsletter, maybe it won’t. I’m sure it will evolve over time. This newsletter may become another hobby of mine, maybe it will grow and become something bigger. But if any of this sounds interesting to you, I’d love for you to come along for the ride.
If you’ve made it this far, I thank you, and the words of James Hoffmann, now I want to hear from you. What do you want to read about? What hobbies do you have? What is the one hobby you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t? Leave a comment down below.